The most iconic Champions League knockouts in recent memory

The Champions League knockout rounds are where legends are made, and legends can fall. Over the last decade, especially, fans have witnessed comebacks, upsets and wild swings that remind us just how unpredictable — and magical — Champions League football can be, both on the pitch and in today’s matchday markets.

Here are some of the most unforgettable knockout matches since 2015.

FC Barcelona 6–1 Paris Saint-Germain — Round of 16, 2016/17

Barcelona walked into the second leg needing a miracle after being hammered 4–0 in Paris. Most people — including plenty of their own fans — had written the tie off completely.

Almost nobody expected them to turn it around — not with that scoreline, not against a PSG team that had looked so comfortable in the first match.

But they got the early goals they needed, and instead of dying out, the pressure on PSG just kept growing. Neymar was easily the standout player on the night, dragging Barcelona forward and keeping the tie alive when it looked like time was running out.

Then, with the game deep into stoppage time, Sergi Roberto got on the end of a lofted ball and poked in the goal that made it 6–1. Suddenly, a tie that looked finished was won 6–5 on aggregate.

Liverpool FC 4–0 FC Barcelona — Semi-final, 2018/19

Barcelona arrived at Anfield with a 3–0 lead from the first leg and looked certain to reach the final. Liverpool were missing key players, the squad looked tired, and most people assumed the tie was done.

But Anfield does strange things on European nights. Liverpool scored early, kept the pressure on, and Barcelona never really settled. As the second half went on, Liverpool’s energy didn’t drop, and Barca’s confidence completely disappeared.

The moment everyone remembers is the quick corner from Trent Alexander-Arnold — one of the smartest bits of thinking seen in a knockout match. Divock Origi finished it, making it 4–0, and Barcelona had no answer.

Liverpool ended up winning the tie 4–3 on aggregate, and it still ranks as one of the competition’s greatest turnarounds.

AS Roma vs FC Barcelona — Quarter-final, 2017/18

Roma’s comeback against Barcelona was one of the most unexpected results in recent Champions League history. After losing the first leg 4–1, almost nobody thought they had a chance. 

But at home, Roma were sharper, more aggressive, and took control early. Goals from Džeko and De Rossi put Barcelona under real pressure, and when Manolas headed in the third to make it 3–0, the tie flipped. 

Roma went through on away goals (4–4 on aggregate), leaving Barcelona completely stunned and out of ideas. It remains one of the standout shocks of the decade.

Tottenham Hotspur 3–2 Ajax — Semi-final, 2018/19

Ajax had won the first leg 1–0 in London and then went 2–0 up in the second leg, making it 3–0 on aggregate. Spurs looked finished. But the game swung after half-time. Lucas Moura scored twice in quick succession, putting real pressure on a young Ajax side that had controlled almost everything up to that point.

As Ajax started to sit deeper, Spurs pushed everyone forward, and in the very last seconds Moura completed his hat-trick to make it 3–2 on the night and send Tottenham through on away goals. 

It wasn’t pretty or polished, but it remains one of the most dramatic finishes to a Champions League tie in recent years.

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